TRAVIS COUNTY WOMEN LAWYERS SCHOLARSHIP FUND, INC.
MARY PEARL WILLIAMS SCHOLARSHIP
Directors:MARGARET COOPER SCHOLARSHIP
Diane (DeDe) HebnerFARRIS-CISNEROS SCHOLARSHIP
D’Ann Johnson ANN FORMAN SCHOLARSHIP
Susan Morrison507 West 7th Street TCWLA President
Velva L. PriceAustin, Texas 787012017-2018:
Milbrey Raney (512) 477-2226 Danielle Ahlrich
Amie Rodnick (512) 477-2126 fax
Cindy Saiter
September 21, 2017
University of Texas School of LawLinda Chanow, Center for Women in Law
Financial Aid OfficeUniversity of Texas School of Law
727 East Dean Keeton St.727 East Dean Keeton St.
Austin, TX 78705Austin, TX 78705
Email: mail:
Jeana LungwitzHon. F. Scott McCown
Domestic Violence ClinicChildren’s Rights Clinic
University of Texas School of LawUniversity of Texas School of Law
727 East Dean Keeton727 East Dean Keeton
Austin, TX 78705Austin, TX 78705
Email: mail:
Re: Scholarships Sponsored by Travis County Women Lawyers Scholarship Fund, Inc.
Dear Financial Aid Office, Ms. Chanow, Ms. Lungwitz, and Judge McCown:
I write this letter on behalf of the Board of the Travis County Women LawyersScholarship Fund, Inc. Our organization awardsthe following scholarships to deserving UT law students: the Mary Pearl Williams Scholarship, the Margaret Cooper Scholarship, the Farris-Cisneros Scholarship, and the Ann Forman Scholarship.
By this letter I hereby request that the Financial Aid Office immediately post notice of the opportunity to apply for these scholarships. I also hereby request that Ms. Chanow, Ms. Lungwitz, and Judge McCown inform law students in their programs of the availability of these scholarships. The enclosed common application may be used for posting and distribution purposes. The application deadline to be considered for a scholarship is Friday, February 2, 2018.
Thank you for your assistance. If you have any questions about these scholarships, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Diane Hebner
Diane Hebner
Attorney at Law
THE MARY PEARL WILLIAMS SCHOLARSHIP
The Mary Pearl Williams Scholarship was founded in 2001. The scholarship, under the auspices of the Travis County Women Lawyers Scholarship Fund, Inc., is in the amount of $1,500.00.
The scholarship is named after the late Judge Mary Pearl Williams, who retired from the Travis County district court bench on December 31, 2000. Judge Williams was a pioneering woman in the legal profession in Travis County, serving as the first female county court at law judge and the first female district judge in the county. Throughout her career, Judge Williams was always known for her integrity, her courtesy to both attorneys and litigants, and her community involvement.
The Mary Pearl Williams scholarship is awarded to a law student at the UT School of Law who shows – through community service and activities at the law school – exceptional promise of being a leader in the community. The recipient of the scholarship will be announced at TCWLA’s March 6, 2018 Combined Mentoring Program and Membership Lunch.
Past recipients of the Mary Pearl Williams Scholarship are:
2001Kristen D. Huff
2002Nabina Sinha
2003Jamie Allen
2004Christian Clarke Casarez
2005Kristi Couvillon & Ashley Morris
2006Katheryne MarDock
2007Courtney Barksdale
2008Lisa Snead & Bridgett Mayeux
2009Rachel Stone
2010Susannah Volpe
2011Margaret Cheu
2012Molly Lochridge Powers
2013Abril Davila
2014Alejandra Avila
2015Hensleigh Crowell & Safa Peera
2016Karly Jo Dixon
2017Paige Duggins & Sarah Jennings
THE MARGARET COOPER SCHOLARSHIP
The Margaret Cooper Scholarship was founded in the fall of 2008 to honor the many years of service of 353rd Judicial District Judge Margaret Cooper. Judge Cooper retired from the Travis County district bench on December 31, 2008, after several decades of service. The scholarship, under the auspices of the Travis County Women Lawyers Scholarship Fund, Inc., is in the amount of $1,500.00.
Throughout her career, Judge Cooper was known for her intelligence, her integrity, and her preparedness. During her time on the bench, she was the only Travis County district judge who was board-certified in the area of administrative law. The scholarship in her name is awarded annually to the University of Texas Law School applicant who best demonstrates perseverance in the face of adversity, financial need, and community service.The recipient of the scholarship will be announced at TCWLA’s March 6, 2018 Combined Mentoring Program and Membership Lunch.
Past recipients of the Margaret Cooper Scholarship are:
2009Karla Vargas
2010Lorrie Cantrell & Adriana G. Rodriguez
2011Amy Davis
2012Hannah Liddell & Athena J. Ponce
2013Tovah Pentelovich
2014Marsha Perez
2015Leandra Karikari & Jasmine E. Grant
2016Skyler Collins
2017Skyler Collins (again) & Briana Perez
THE FARRIS-CISNEROS SCHOLARSHIP
The Travis County Women Lawyers Scholarship Fund created the Farris-Cisneros Scholarship in 1998 in reaction to the Hopwoodcourt decision.The scholarship, under the auspices of the Travis County Women Lawyers Scholarship Fund, Inc., is in the amount of $1,500.00.
The founders of the scholarship believe that, if lawyers are to maintain credibility within an increasingly diverse society, we must ensure diverse membership in our state bar. The scholarship is named after the late Charlye Farris, the first African-American woman admitted to the Texas bar, and Edna Cisneros, the first Hispanic woman admitted to the Texas bar.Charlye Farris graduated from Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1953; she was the first woman of any race to actively practice law in Wichita County, Texas. She practiced law there for over 40 years, was elected to the district bench there, and served on the Board of Regents of that city’s Midwestern State University. In 2004, she received the Texas Bar Foundation’s Outstanding Fifty-year Lawyer Award.Edna Cisneros became one of the first women to pass the Texas Bar Exam – in 1955 — and was the first woman ever elected District Attorney in Texas.
The Farris-Cisneros Scholarship is awarded annually to a minority woman attending the UT School of Law. The scholarship committee considers financial need, history of community involvement, and future intentions of the scholarship applicants. The recipient of the scholarship will be announced at TCWLA’s March 6, 2018 Combined Mentoring Program and Membership Lunch.
Past recipients of the Farris-Cisneros Scholarship are:
2000JoAnn Torrez
2001Angie Saenz
2002Pilar Tidball
2003Summer Benford
2004Heather Ramon
2005(Not Awarded)
2006Ifeyinwa J. Ossai & Anh Thu Nguyen
2007Kathryn Freeman & Sophia Lecky
2008Stephanie Kolman & Sara Kim
2009(Not Awarded)
2010Adriana G. Rodriguez
2011Jayde N. Ashford & Doris Wong
2012(Not Awarded)
2013Stephanie Brosig & Andrea Meza
2014Paige Armstrong-Gutierrez, Olga Medina & Andrea Meza (again)
2015Paige Armstrong-Gutierrez (again) & Berenice Medellin
2016Briana Perez
2017Safa Peera & Kendall Williams
THE ANN FORMAN SCHOLARSHIP
The Travis County Women Lawyers Scholarship Fund created the Ann Forman Scholarship in 2011 to honor the contributions of attorney Ann Dinsmore Forman to the Austin legal community and to the children of Texas.The scholarship, under the auspices of the Travis County Women Lawyers Scholarship Fund, Inc., is in the amount of $1,500.00.
Ann Forman died on January 28, 2010 after a long and brave battle against breast cancer. She was an Assistant District Attorney with the Travis County District Attorney’s office for many years, handling child welfare cases. Throughout her career, Ann was known for her intelligence, compassion, commitment to justice, and integrity in advocating for children. She mentored many attorneys in child welfare law and set an example for all those who worked with her. Through her work and her mentoring, Ann improved the lives of children and their families, and the community.
The Ann Forman Scholarship is awarded annually to a 2ndor 3rd-year law student attending the UT School of Law. The scholarship committee considers each candidate’s interest and aptitude in child welfare law, related community service, and financial need. The recipient of the scholarship will be announced at TCWLA’s March 6, 2018 Combined Mentoring Program and Membership Lunch.
Past recipients of the Ann Forman Scholarship are:
2012Leigh Mathews
2013Gabriella Gonzalez & Tina Herrero
2014Sarah P. Bryant
2015(Not Awarded)
2016(Not Awarded)
2017(Not Awarded)
APPLICATION FOR SCHOLARSHIP SPONSORED BY TRAVIS COUNTY WOMEN LAWYERS SCHOLARSHIP FUND, INC.
(You must answer this application fully and completely to be considered)
KEEPING IN MIND THAT THE TCWLA SCHOLARSHIPS HAVE DIFFERENT CRITERIA, FOR WHICH SCHOLARSHIP(S) WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE CONSIDERED?
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Name ______Date of Birth ______
SS# (last 4 digits)______Texas Driver’s License # (last 4 digits)______
Address: ______
Home Telephone: ______Work Telephone: ______
Email address: ______
Pre-law Education:
InstitutionDates AttendedDegrees
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Number of semesters at UT Law School: ______
Are you or have you ever been on scholastic probation: ______
If your answer to the above is yes, please explain the circumstances: ______
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Please list all the community activities you have been involved in over the past 5 years, outside of UT Law School:
Group/OrganizationType of ActivityDate(s)
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______
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Please list all the community activities you have been involved in within UT Law School:
Group/OrganizationType of ActivityDate(s)
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Please list all employment you have held for the past five years:
EmployerDatesReason for leaving
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Do you have any dependents? ______If your answer is yes, please list their names, ages, and relation to you:
NameAgeRelation
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Please list your current monthly sources of income:
Type of IncomeSource(s)Monthly Amount (Avg.)
Scholarship(s)______
Loan(s)______
Employment______
Support from family______
Other ______
Please list your monthly expenses
(1) Mortgage payment$______
(2) Rental house payment$______
(3) Real property taxes (omit if part of
house payment)$______
(3) Resident maintenance (repairs, yard)$______
(4) Insurance – home or renters (omit if
part of house payment)$______
(5) Utilities – Gas$______
(6) Utilities -- Electric, water, garbage$______
(7) Telephone (include average long distance)$______
(8) Groceries and household items$______
(9) Meals away from home$______
(10) School lunches$______
(11) Dental and orthodontia$______
(12) Medical and prescriptions$______
(13) Laundry and dry cleaning$______
(14) Car payment$______
(15) Gas and vehicle maintenance$______
(16) Clothing and shoes$______
(17) Insurance – Car$______
(18) Insurance – Life$______
(19) Insurance – Health (omit if payroll deduction)$______
(20) Child care$______
(21) Children’s activities$______
(22) Entertainment$______
(23) Haircuts$______
(24) Cable TV and newspaper$______
(25) Total monthly payments on debts:
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______$______
(27) Support or alimony payments to other persons$______
(28) Other (Specify):
______$ ______
______$ ______
______$ ______
______$ ______
TOTAL MONTHLY EXPENSES$______
Please list property you own below:
Type of propertyDescriptionEstimated value
House ______
Car ______
Stocks/Bonds______
Household Furnishings______
Electronic Equipment______
Other ______
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Cash on hand in financial institutions:
NOTE: While financial need is not a pre-requisite for all of the scholarships sponsored by the Travis County Women Lawyers Scholarship Fund (see scholarship descriptions), it will be considered if the application committee feels that two or more applicants are equally qualified.
InstitutionAccount No. (last 4 digits).Current Balance
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Please list two personal and two professional references below:
Personal ReferencesAddress and telephone
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Professional ReferencesAddress and telephone
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Please give a brief statement explaining why you wish to be considered for the scholarship(s) for which you are applying; you may attach a statement if you wish:
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I hereby certify that all of the above information is true and correct, to the best of my knowledge. I authorize the directors of the scholarship fund to contact any source of information I have given and verify its accuracy.
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Signature of ApplicantDate:
THE APPLICATION MUST BE RECEIVED IN OUR OFFICES ON OR BEFORE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2018. Please return completed application to:
Travis County Women Lawyers Scholarship Fund, Inc.
c/o Amie Rodnick
507 West 7th St.
Austin, TX 78701-2831
WARNING: THE INFORMATION YOU FURNISH ON THIS APPLICATION WILL BE INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED. THE FURNISHING OF FALSE OR MISLEADING INFORMATION WILL BE REPORTED TO THE LAW SCHOOL FOR APPROPRIATE DISCIPLINARY ACTION AND MAY BE GROUNDS FOR REVOCATION OF THE SCHOLARSHIP.